03092017 - News Article - Portage council quashes using only official email for city business

Portage council quashes using only official email for city business
NWI Times
March 09, 2017
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/portage-council-quashes-using-only-official-email-for-city-business/article_a54b933f-03bc-550c-885b-e62101beea50.html

PORTAGE — City officials here won't be required to use their official emails when conducting city business.

An ordinance sponsored by Councilman John Cannon this week requiring the use of city email accounts for elected and appointed officials was defeated along party lines.

Cannon, the lone Republican, said he proposed the ordinance to improve transparency in the city and to help provide an accurate historical record of city communication.

Cannon added it is much easier for the public to request copies of official emails if they are written on city email accounts.

Democrats, however, balked.

Councilman Pat Clem said he provides residents with his personal email address along with his telephone number and doesn't see why he should be limited to a city account.

Councilwoman Liz Modesto also said she thought the ordinance is unnecessary.

"If the government wants to see (our personal email) they will subpoena it," she said, adding it costs the city $10 per month for each city email account and if the council would use personal email, it would save the city money.

Modesto added that she has had problems with her city email account, which often goes down, making it difficult to communicate with residents.

"You are against it because you don't want transparency. We've talked about transparency at the last four meetings," Cannon said.

Councilman Collin Czilli said he would support the ordinance if it were amended to also include social media and other web-based sources of contact.

The amendment was defeated.

Mayor James Snyder supported Cannon's efforts, saying using city email makes them available to anyone who wishes to see them.

"I strongly disagree with what I'm hearing. The problem with personal email is that people will never know if you gave all the email up," said Snyder, adding it is his intention to archive all his city email correspondence when he leaves office to leave a record of city business for the future.